Star Spangled Banner

This is an antique 15-star silk flag from the 1950s that is referred to as “the star spangled banner.”  Measures 9 x 11 inches including the frame. When Vermont and Kentucky are admitted to the union in 1791 and 1792, Congress added a star and a stripe for each of them, resulting in a flag with 15 stars and 15 stripes. It waved over Fort McHenry when the British Navy attacked on the night of September 13, 1914.  Francis Scott Key was a hostage on the British frigate “Surprise,” where all night he watched the gallant defense of Fort McHenry. It was during these hours that he was inspired to write the words of our national anthem.